Poinsettia plant named ‘ATN VM7’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Poinsettia plant cultivar is disclosed, characterized by medium-sized, creamy white bracts with a rose pink center, blooming consistently after 7.5 weeks of night-length of 13.5 hours or more, with a post-production longevity of 6 weeks or more.

Latin name of the genus and species: Euphorbia pulcherrima.

Variety denomination: ‘ATN VM7’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The new cultivar ‘ATN VM7’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The new variety was discovered as a whole plant induced mutation from the original cultivar, ‘ATN VR2’. The original cuttings were treated in February 2004 with gamma rays at 25 Gy. The new cultivar was discovered and selected by Leo van Zanten in November 2005.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar ‘ATN VM7’ by terminal cuttings was performed in Oxnard, Calif., USA and has shown that the unique features of this new cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type on successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar ‘ATN VM7’ has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength, and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of ‘ATN VM7’ which in combination distinguish this Poinsettia as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Creamy white bracts with a rose pink center;     -   2. Medium sized bracts in tight and flat rosette-like         arrangement;     -   3. Dark-green foliage with moderate lobes;     -   4. Bracts are medium-sized, v-shaped with the branches slanting         upright;     -   5. Beginning of flowering after 7.5 weeks of night-length of         13.5 hours or more and;     -   6. Post production longevity of 6 weeks or more.

In comparison to the parent variety, ‘ATN VR2’ (which is the subject of Plant Pat. No. 17,522), ‘ATN VM7’ is taller and has a wider plant spread. Also, the parent variety ‘ATN VR2’ has more leaves per lateral branch but ‘ATN VM7’ has larger, darker leaves. Additionally, the new variety ‘ATN VM7’ has a larger inflorescence diameter with fewer bracts per inflorescence. Finally, the new variety ‘ATN VM7’ has bicolor white and pink bracts compared to the red bracts of the parent variety.

In comparison to the commercially available variety ‘Fisholly’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,945), ‘ATN VM7’ has a shorter flowering response time and longer post-production longevity. The new variety ‘ATN VM7’ is taller but has a smaller plant spread than ‘Fisholly’. Additionally, the new cultivar ‘ATN VM7’ has darker green foliage. Finally, the bracts of ‘ATN VM7’ are more red-purple in the center and a creamier yellow than the comparable variety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates in full color a typical plant of ‘ATN VM7’ grown in a 6.5-inch pot. One cutting was used in the pot, planted in late August and grown in a greenhouse using approximately 4,000-foot candles of light. The colors are as nearly true as is reasonably possible in a color representation of this type.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe ‘ATN VM7’ plants grown in Oxnard, Ventura County, Calif., from late August to late November of 2006. The growing temperature ranged from 18° C. to 20° C. at night to 20° C. to 24° C. during the day.

-   Botanical classification: Euphorbia pulcherrima cultivar ‘ATN VM7.’ -   Commercial classification: Poinsettia.

PROPAGATION

-   Time to initiate rooting: Approximately 10 days at 20-22° C. -   Time to develop roots: Sufficiently rooted for transplanting after     about 25 days in a greenhouse at temperature of 20-22° C.

PLANT

-   Form: Mounding inverted triangle self-branching, mounded top of     plant. -   Growth habit: Moderately compact structure, pinched plants are bushy     with the branches upright directed at an angle of roughly 35     degrees, foliage canopy uniformly rounded. -   Height: In 6.5 inch pot, approximately 35 cm. -   Plant spread: In 6.5 inch pot, approximately 38 cm. -   Growth rate: Low to medium vigor. -   Branching characteristics: Free-branching. -   Diameter of branches: Approximately 0.7 cm. -   Average number of branches: Approximately 7 after pinching. -   Length of lateral branches: Approximately 24 cm. -   Number of leaves per lateral branch: Approximately 9. -   Stem color: Near Green 143C. -   Age of plant described: Approximately 120 days.

FOLIAGE

-   Leaf:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate single.         -   Average length.—Approximately 11 cm.         -   Average with.—Approximately 8 cm.         -   Shape of blade.—Ovate.         -   Lobes.—Moderate lobes.         -   Tip.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Rounded to almost truncate.         -   Attachment.—Stalked.         -   Margin.—Entire, apart from the lobes.         -   Aspect.—Slightly recurved.         -   Texture of top surface.—Glabrous.         -   Texture of bottom surface.—Glabrous.         -   Leaf internode length.—About 2.5 cm.         -   Color.—Young foliage upper side: Near Yellow-Green 146A.             Young foliage under side: Near Yellow-Green 146B. Mature             foliage upper side: Near Yellow-Green 147A. Mature foliage             under side: Near Yellow-Green 147A.         -   Venation.—Type: Pinnate. Venation color upper side: Near             Yellow-Green 145A. Venation color under side: Near             Yellow-Green 145B. -   Petiole:     -   -   Average length.—Approximately 4.5 cm.         -   Color.—Near Yellow-Green 145B.         -   Diameter.—Approximately 0.3 cm.         -   Texture.—Smooth.         -   Aspect.—Petioles are horizontally directed.

FLOWER

-   Inflorescence:     -   -   Inflorescence description.—Inflorescences are compound             corymbs of cyathia with colored flower bracts subtending the             cyathia.         -   Blooming habit.—Begin under natural short day conditions in             the fall: Botanically (cyathia open) in late December.             Commercially (bracts colored, marketable in late November).         -   Flowering response time.—60 days after beginning of short             days (nights longer than 13.5 hours.)         -   Flowering description.—Whole inflorescence with surrounding             bracts. About medium-size, star-shaped, with the bracts             directed in a tight arrangement and overlapping.         -   Natural flowering season.—Mainly from late November to late             December.         -   Number of inflorescences per lateral branch.—Approximately             1.         -   Diameter of inflorescence.—Approximately 13 cm.         -   Height of inflorescence.—Approximately 7.1 cm.         -   Number of bracts per inflorescence.—About 12.         -   Persistence.—Persistent. -   Bracts:     -   -   Length of largest bracts.—About 12 cm.         -   Width of largest bracts.—About 8 cm.         -   Keeping quality.—Plants have a post-production longevity of             6 weeks.         -   Shape.—Ovate, with moderate lobes.         -   Base.—Obtuse, moderate lobes with acute tips.         -   Terminal tip.—Acuminate. -   Texture:     -   -   Upper surface.—Glabrous, velvety.         -   Lower surface.—Glabrous velvety.         -   Aspect.—Slightly recurved.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate. -   Color:     -   -   Developing bracts.—Upper surface: Near Yellow 9D with near             Red-Purple 66D at center. Lower surface: Near Red-Purple 64B             with near Yellow 9D at margins.         -   Mature bracts.—Upper surface: Near Yellow 9D with near             Red-Purple 63C at center. Lower surface: Near Yellow 9D with             near Red-Purple 63D at center. -   Bract petiole:     -   -   Length.—Approximately 2.5 cm.         -   Diameter.—Approximately 0.2 cm.         -   Color.—Near Greyed-Yellow 160C with near Red-Purple 63C on             the under surface of the petiole. -   Cyathium: About 12 per corymb. -   Diameter of cyathia cluster: About 3.1 cm. -   Length of individual cyathia: Approximately 0.9 cm. -   Width of individual cyathia: Approximately 0.7 cm. -   Shape: Ovoid. -   Color:     -   -   Immature.—Near Yellow 9B.         -   Mature.—Near Yellow 9B. -   Aging: Near Yellow 9A. -   Nectar cups/nectaries:     -   -   Quantity.—One or two per cyathium.         -   Width.—Up to 5 mm wide.         -   Color.—Near Yellow 9A. -   Peduncle:     -   -   Length.—About 0.2 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 0.1 cm.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Aspect.—Upright.         -   Texture.—Glabrous.         -   Color.—Near Yellow-Green 145B. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Stamen.—Approximately 15 in a cluster.         -   Anther shape.—Bi-lobed.         -   Anther length.—About 0.1 cm.         -   Anther color.—Near Red-Purple 63C.         -   Quantity of pollen.—Moderate.         -   Pollen color.—No pollen detected. -   Pistils: None observed.

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

-   Disease resistance: No resistance nor susceptibility has been     observed to pests and diseases of poinsettia crops. -   Fruit/seed production: No seed observed. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Poinsettia plant named ‘ATN VM7’ as herein illustrated and described. 